AR piston operation?

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I predict a bunch of AR-15-type enthusiasts will get upset at your implication that there's something unsatisfactory about the AR-15 family's existing gas system. *shrug* I guess if somebody said my DSA FAL-clone needed direct gas impingement instead of a piston...well, I'd laugh in their face, but I'm a jolly guy.

ANYhoo, in the sixties Colt experimented with a gas-piston-operated upper receiver for the M16. It never went anywhere, but somebody posted a picture of it on this very forum. I'll try to dig it up.

In any case, there's the kit available from ZM Weapons, but it's very pricey. (I hear it's very well made, though.)

Additionally, the Daewoo rifle evolved out of them making a gas-piston rifle based on the M16. Apparently the RoK armed forces were dissatisfied with the M16s the Americans sold them on the cheap...
 
IIRC, H&K recently came out with an M4-style upper incorporating an AR18-style gas system, which uses a conventional cylinder and piston.
 
well, cause you want mostly GI parts,

and you'd like to have a folding stock, and a short barrel, for concealment purposes, and you'd like to keep all the caliber conversion potential, protected iron sights, see thru mounts, drop in ambi safeties, luminous sights, return to zero, QD scope base of the AR? That's a lot of potential reasons, I'd say.
 
I dont believe the ZM Weapons upper uses a piston, its more like two over-lapping gas tubes. The gas mostly stays in the tubes and the carrier, its not blown all over the action like the normal operation, but it doesnt eliminate the fouling in the reciever.

Kharn
 
I absolutely adore the AR. Check out any of my posts for proof. And there's no platform more versatile--.22 to .50, 4" to 36", semi, auto, belt feed, bolt, pump, target, sniper, assault, pistol, carbine, rifle...

But I see nothing wrong with options. ;)

I believe the HK is based more on the AR-18 system.

Thanks for the info so far.
 
The problem (in theory at least) of the AR-15/M16 gas system is not the tube itself (once the ammo problems were worked out), but the fact that spent gas is exhausted through the bolt carrier. The AR-18/180 is a better system not only because its piston keeps gas out of the receiver, but because its loose fitting bolt carrier rides on rods. Unlike the tightly fitted M16 carrier, it is almost immune to dirt and dust.

Jim
 
Well taking into consideration that Daewoo was a contract manufacturer of the M-16, the Daewoo K2 is basically a redesigned M-16 with a piston.
 
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